SUMMARY

“This was one of the best learning experiences of my life.”   “We have a responsibility to understand the cultures of the students we teach.” “We think of Mexico as mono-cultural, not aware of Mexico’s diversity and the global importance of Mexican history.”  “The homestay, having meals and talking with our host family were our hands-on, personal way to immerse ourselves in today’s Mexico.”

Mexico City, Cuernavaca, and Puebla welcomed 22 North Carolina educators during this year’s World View study visit, June 18-July 1.   The group, representing 9 counties, most in county teams, included a school superintendent, program directors, principals, a community college department head, and elementary, middle and high school teachers. All participants were sponsored by their school system, school, or community college, and for most, Mexico was their first international travel destination.

Why Mexico?  North Carolina’s public schools have experienced a 575% increase in Latino students over the past decade, 65% of whom are Mexican.  Two immersion weeks in Mexico provided a gateway to understanding why so many Mexicans have immigrated to North Carolina, the pushes and pulls that accompany their decision, the values and traditions they bring with them, and the difficulties of their transition.

World View began planning in late October with decisions about itinerary and travel arrangements, contact with the Mexico-based host organization, and publicity about the study visit.  By the end of January, a participant group had formed, and on March 12, the group, who were in Chapel Hill attending the World View-sponsored Hispanics/Latinos in the Carolinas seminar as a prerequisite, met for briefing by World View, Sharon Mujica from the Latin American Consortium of UNC-Chapel Hill, and two participants from the Mexico 2002 study visit.  Continuing e-mail contact with participants provided updates and information, and early on June 18 the group departed from the Raleigh-Durham airport for Mexico City via Houston.

The study visit began in Mexico City for four days, examining and exploring Mexico’s history and cultures with guided visits to Teotihuacan, the Museum of Anthropology, the Plaza of Three Cultures,  The National Administration building where Diego Rivera’s murals recount Mexico’s social history, the Basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe, and the Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, and Dolores Olmeda museums.

Next, the group traveled by bus to Cuernavaca for a week based in homestays, with morning language lessons at Cemanahuac, World View’s Mexico host, and afternoon and evening presentations on immigration, current events, a village cooperative, and traditional healing.  The group made visits to markets, the Cortes Palace, the Jardin Borda, the zocalo, a bilingual elementary school, and a community project for children of street vendors, had an evening get together with a group from Blue Ridge Community College, and made half-day field trips to Buena Vista rural community, and Taxco.

From Cuernavaca, Cemanahuac’s yellow school bus took participants out of the valley, past fields of sugar cane, rice and roses, up into pine forests, stopping at Izucar de Matamoros to visit a pottery artisan, and then to Puebla for a two-day visit in the city Cortes founded in 1531.  The group visited Talavera-tiled museums and churches, schools and a branch of Puebla’s University of Mexico to learn how teachers are trained in bilingual education, and the site of the Battle of Puebla that gave birth to Cinco de Mayo celebrations.

Participants returned to Mexico City for a final evening together before departure for North Carolina, sharing reflections, memories, and appreciation with our Cemanahuac coordinator.  From Julie West, a Wayne County teacher, whose comment expressed the spirit of the group:

“I learned an unbelievable amount about Mexico and Mexican cultures and traditions, especially the love of family and respect for education.  And my learning experience has just begun.  I hope I will visit Mexico again, maybe next time with my students.”